The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus causing a printed sheet output therefrom to be fetched.
If a given user causes an image forming apparatus to print a printed sheet, the printed sheet ejected onto an exit tray of the image forming apparatus may be taken away by another user. Various techniques have been employed for avoiding such situations.
In a first typical technique, a printer user specifies a receiver of a printed sheet in issuing a print instruction to an image forming apparatus. Thus, the receiver is granted authority to eject the printed sheet from the image forming apparatus. Through personal identification performed by an identification device, the receiver can receive the printed sheet.
In a second typical technique, a user issues a print instruction to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus records, on a recording sheet, an ID (identification) peculiar to the user having issued the print instruction. The image forming apparatus determines, by reading the ID from the recording sheet, whether or not the recording sheet loaded on an exit tray has been removed.
If the recording sheet has been removed, or if the recording sheet has not been removed, the image forming apparatus sends, to a destination specified by the user in issuing the print instruction, a notice that the recording sheet has been removed, or that the recording sheet has not been removed.
In a third typical technique, in transmitting a print instruction from a client terminal to an image forming apparatus, processing information is transmitted together with the print instruction. The processing information corresponds to processing to be executed if a printed sheet is forgotten to be fetched. The processing information is printed on the printed sheet. If a user forgets to fetch the printed sheet from an exit tray, the image forming apparatus reads the processing information printed on the printed sheet left in the exit tray to execute the processing corresponding to the processing information.
In a fourth typical technique, the security of printed sheets is improved by using a security exit section in the shape of a lockable box. For example, in a case where printed sheets printed for two or more users are ejected onto the security exit section, if one user opens the security exit section through identification, and takes all the printed sheets away, a screen warning that the user may have taken away printed sheets of the other user(s) together with his/her printed sheet is displayed on a PC (personal computer) of the user having taken away the printed sheets.